Amid fragile ceasefire, Trump vows to strengthen trade with India and Pakistan
A tentative ceasefire remained in effect between India and Pakistan on Sunday following several nights of intense conflict, as U.S. President Donald Trump expressed a willingness to help mediate a resolution on Kashmir and pledged to boost trade with both nations.
After four days of the most severe military exchange in nearly 30 years—including missile and drone attacks targeting each other’s military sites—dozens have been reported dead on both sides.
Though a truce was brokered through diplomatic channels and significant pressure from the United States, fresh artillery fire erupted hours later in Indian-administered Kashmir, the main flashpoint of the hostilities.
Explosions from air-defense systems echoed across border cities, many of which remained under blackout conditions for the third consecutive night, according to local officials, eyewitnesses, and Reuters correspondents.
Late Saturday, India accused Pakistan of breaching the newly established ceasefire and said its armed forces had been directed to respond firmly to any future violations. Pakistan, for its part, affirmed its commitment to the truce and placed the blame for renewed firing on India.
By early Sunday, the cross-border shelling had subsided, and power was restored in many Indian towns near the frontier that had experienced outages the previous evening.
President Trump commended the leaders of both countries for stepping back from the brink. In a statement on his Truth Social platform, he said: “While not even discussed, I am going to increase trade, substantially, with both of these great nations. Additionally, I will work with you both to see if … a solution can be arrived at concerning Kashmir.”
In Amritsar, a major border city and spiritual hub for Sikhs, the sounding of a morning siren signaling a return to normal life brought visible relief, with residents venturing outdoors after days of tension.
The latest bout of fighting was sparked Wednesday, just two weeks after a deadly assault in Pahalgam, Indian-administered Kashmir, in which 26 Hindus were killed.
“Ever since the attack in Pahalgam, we’ve been closing our shops early every day, unsure of what might happen,” said Satvir Singh Alhuwalia, a 48-year-old shopkeeper in Amritsar. “I’m just glad there’s finally a pause to the bloodshed.”
Officials in Pakistan reported limited firing overnight in the Bhimber region of Pakistani-administered Kashmir, with no injuries or fatalities.
India and Pakistan, both nuclear-armed and born from the 1947 partition of British India, have fought three wars—two of them over Kashmir.
The region remains a major source of tension. India accuses Pakistan of fueling an armed insurgency that began in 1989 in its portion of Kashmir, which has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths. Pakistan denies involvement in violence, saying it supports the Kashmiri cause through political and diplomatic means only.
Authorities from both sides say the death toll from the recent conflict has risen to nearly 70.
